I view mathematics education as more than teaching students how to apply formulas or obtain correct answers. My primary goal is to help students think mathematically: to recognize patterns and structures, formulate precise questions, understand why an argument works, and approach unfamiliar problems with confidence and curiosity.
In my teaching, I aim to make abstract mathematical ideas accessible by developing them from examples, questions, and problems. I often move from intuition to formalization, using examples and counterexamples to motivate definitions and mathematical arguments. I also place particular emphasis on discussion and questioning, since explaining an idea and defending a line of reasoning are essential parts of learning mathematics.
I currently teach MATH 111 – Fundamentals of Mathematics at İzmir University of Economics. My classes combine explanation with discussion, questions, and problem solving. I encourage students not only to find an answer, but also to ask why a method works, whether another approach is possible, and how their reasoning can be communicated clearly.
Mentoring has also been an important part of my teaching experience. As a mentor in DRP Türkiye for three consecutive years, I have guided undergraduate students through independent projects involving error-correcting and quantum error-correcting codes, coding theory and dual codes, and algebraic coding theory with connections to code-based cryptography. These experiences have strengthened my belief that students develop mathematical maturity when they gradually move from receiving mathematical knowledge to independently exploring it.
My research in algebra, algebraic geometry, and coding theory naturally informs my teaching. I enjoy showing how abstract mathematical structures connect with concrete questions, while also emphasizing that mathematics has intellectual value beyond its applications.
Ultimately, I hope my students leave the classroom with more than mathematical techniques. I want them to develop precision, logical reasoning, persistence, curiosity, and the confidence to engage with ideas they have not encountered before.
My aim is to help students move from learning mathematics to thinking mathematically.